Is Homosexuality Natural or Acquired?

by Taha Salim

Are some human beings born as homosexuals? Is it contrary to the laws of nature? Homosexuality: The tendency of a human being to be sexually attracted to people of the same sex (male to male, female to female). In Islamic societies today, homosexuals are one of the most persecuted and ridiculed groups. In these societies, homosexuals live in fear of showing their true identity as they might get killed.

In his philosophy of freedom and the burden of choice, Sartre said that only human beings have the ability to make choices. In this sense, their existence precedes the understanding of their essence. Therefore, they are mere existence before they are adults, Christians, cowards, socialists or homosexuals. They are free to have special qualities of their choice to adopt. According to Sartre’s argument that existence precedes essence, homosexuality would be a choice rather than an outcome of genetic factors, not a natural reality but a result of conscious decision.

The Iraqi sociologist Dr. Ali Al-Wardi addressed the discussion between scientists if homosexuality is natural or acquired. He reached almost conclusive results that sexual deviation can not be eliminated in any society whatsoever. Social researchers are concerned about those who acquire sexual orientation under the influence of their social circumstances, a phenomenon that disproportionately increases among sailors, prisoners, and soldiers — who are in spaces where gender segregation is frequent, and the clergy — who live in religious centers where women are not visible.

We know well that the role of the media is influencing the composition of public decisions. We see hostility, violence, oppression and distorted images of homosexuals through television films, where some of the cinematic works in the Arab world have shown that homosexuality is evil and punishable by death. Sometimes it makes it ridiculous and humorous. The most famous of these films are “Hamam al-Molaty”, “Kataa Alla al-Nar” and “Asrar al Aeila”. These films give a misconception about homosexuals and made their situation more difficult and increased gap between them and society.

According to reports published in the British newspaper The Observer, more than 600 homosexuals have been killed in Iraq by armed religious groups. Some Muslim countries consider homosexuality a crime and punishment for this behavior is death such as Saudi Arabia.

“There are two percent of people who are born homosexual,” explains Havelock Ellis, a sex research specialist. “They are born this way, it is not acquired.” The reason for this, according to Ellis, is a certain lack in their biological composition. They have a tendency to deviate sexually determined by their nature.

There is a common view in Muslim societies that homosexuality is so unnatural that it does not occur among animals. Because of that, it is argued that the consequences of homosexuality may lead to the termination of the human race. However, many scientists discovered with the naked eye that more than a thousand species of animals have same-sex intercourse with the same species including zebras, monkeys, sheep, dolphins, lions, and even some worms. So, if homosexuality is contrary to nature, how is it that many animals practice it? Established international health organizations, including the American Psychological Association, recognize that homosexuality is not a psychological illness, nor is it a physical or mental illness. This is different from what Sartre said in the end. We must listen to the voice of science because it is the highest voice in the 21st century. Some countries have legalized gay marriage and their gay citizens enjoy the same rights as ordinary couples, including adoption.